Gayle King Says Women Told Her She Was ‘Brave’ for SI Swimsuit Cover: ‘I Was Just Excited’ (Exclusive)

Gayle King is “69 and feeling really fine.”

On Tuesday, Sept. 17, the CBS Mornings co-host spoke to PEOPLE at the Through Her Lens: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program luncheon, which supports women filmmakers by helping them refine and present their short film concepts to the industry. 

At the event, King spoke about her recent Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover, which was unveiled in May.

“Talk about stepping outside of your box,” she said. “Honest to God, when they called me, I thought I was being punked. I did. I thought I was being punked.”

King added that she was “really happy” to be included inside the iconic magazine but was “thrilled” when she discovered she’d been chosen for a solo cover.

“I’ve had so many women come up to me and say, that was so brave,” the TV personality said. “Was it brave? I was just excited. That’s what it was for me. To show you that it’s 69 and feeling really fine.”

King previously told PEOPLE that gracing the 60th anniversary cover was one of the “highlights” of her career.

“It wasn’t something I dreamed about,” she said, “but it was one of the highlights of all the things I’ve done because I never thought this would be possible.”

On the cover, King wears a printed one-piece swimsuit and cover-up by Evarae. “I wanted tasteful cleavage, and they delivered on all of that,” King said of her looks.

During the Tuesday, May 14 episode of CBS Mornings, King was surprised with her cover reveal live on-air. Hunter McGrady and Kate Upton — who also have solo covers — presented King with the issue.

“Ahhh! I’m on the cover,” the journalist exclaimed. “They told me I was just going to be on the inside! It’s not a dummy cover? This is going to be on the newsstands? Oh my God! Oh my God!”

“I’m floating, I’m floating, I can’t believe it,” she continued, noting she didn’t think she’d ever be on the cover. “Never in my wildest dreams! Never, ever, ever.”